Dunford and Shanahan both declined to confirm the number of troops to stay in Syria. The official said the presumption was that the several hundred troops would be part of an global peacekeeping force.

The White House quietly dropped the news late Thursday that around 200 American "peace-keeping" soldiers would remain in northern Syria indefinitely, amid fierce criticism of Trump's decision to withdraw America's more than 2,000 troops there by April 30. The US President afterwards backtracked his decision, giving the US military four months to pull out the troops.

USA officials told the Associated Press that Mr Trump made the decision to keep some forces on in Syria after being told by European allies that America had to contribute to the on-the-ground observer force in order for them to take part.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford said "there is no change in the basic campaign" in Syria as the Trump administration has reversed course on a quick troop pullout. And so White House and Defense officials admit to me that Turkey, U.K., France, Israel, the Kurdish partners all said, don't leave.

The U.S. decision to keep troops in Syria came several days after U.S. European allies reportedly turned down a U.S. request to fill the gap with their troops. The Turkish government considers the Kurdish fighting forces "terrorist".

Following a meeting at the Pentagon, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar told his U.S. counterpart Patrick Shanahan the USA must not leave an authority gap in Syria when its troops withdraw, according to Turkish state media.

Jussie Smollett apologizes to 'Empire' cast, crewBut the tide of public opinion quickly turned as unusual details about the case emerged. "Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett faces a felony charge of disorderly conduct over falsely claiming he was attacked, police say.

Akar and Shanahan discussed a "broad range of issues, including bilateral defense cooperation matters, operations to defeat Daesh in Syria and Turkey's concern with U.S. support for the YPG/PYD, the Syrian branch of the PKK", according to a readout from Turkish Defense Ministry on Saturday, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State jihadist group (ISIS). But since the terrorists were driven out, Tanf has assumed a role as part of a USA strategy to contain Iran's military buildup.

"The transition that we are working towards is stabilization, and to enhance the security capability of local security forces", Shanahan said.

"In addition to Daesh, we have Iran, the Syrian regime and Turkey waiting for the USA troops to leave so they can attack us", Can told VOA, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

The Tanf garrison, where the other 200 troops would remain, was set up when Islamic State fighters controlled eastern Syria bordering Iraq. "Eighty percent of the operation should be European, maybe 20 percent us", he said.

The US is not seeking a United Nations mandate for the deployment and now does not envision asking North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to sponsor the mission, an administration official said, adding that the troops would not be "peacekeepers", a term that carries restricted rules of engagement.

Share this:

Hot News

Blizzard conditions move into western Kansas early SaturdayFeb 25, 2019 - 00:44
The Minnesota Department of Transportation said snowplows will be on the roads, but the snow may outpace their ability to keep up. Numerous roads in Southeast Minnesota and Northern Iowa are under a No Travel advisory because roads remain impassable.

How the tech industry reacted to Huawei’s foldable phoneFeb 25, 2019 - 00:34
Other features are an in screen fingerprint reader, three cameras , wireless charging for itself and other devices. The Mate X offers a front-facing 5.6-inch screen with a resolution of 2480 x 1148 and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

91st Academy Awards: What Time Do The 2019 Oscars Start?Feb 25, 2019 - 00:24
ACADEMY AWARDS 2019 LOCATION: The Oscars take place at the Dolby Theatre, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. In India, the 91st Oscars will be broadcast live on Star Movies and Star Movies HD on February 25 from 5:30 am.

NYC prosecutors preparing case against ManafortFeb 24, 2019 - 02:24
That sentencing will come days after he's sentenced in Alexandria, Virginia, where jurors convicted him of tax- and bank fraud . Those contacts, prosecutors said in court, go "very much to the heart of what the special counsel's office is investigating".

Kraft Heinz plunges to record low on writedown of brands' valueFeb 24, 2019 - 02:22
Now, if Kraft Heinz was banking on buying another company to feed its growth prospects, that avenue may not longer be available. The trend hasn't been good for some of Kraft Heinz' standbys like Jell-O and Kool-Aid and Oscar Mayer hot dogs.

Hostile atmosphere awaits England in CardiffFeb 24, 2019 - 01:43
The halves' relative lack of experience will be targeted by England , which has showed a ruthless intelligence in its two wins. In 2003 we played Wales in a quarter-final in Brisbane and were under the cosh but somehow came through.

Cargo Jet Crashes Near Houston, 3 Crew AboardFeb 24, 2019 - 01:42
The NTSB will be taking charge of the investigation. "The FAA and NTSB do not release names of people aboard aircraft". Sheriff Brian Hawthorne described the crash site as "total devastation" and said the cleanup could take weeks.

Google ends forced arbitration for employees globallyFeb 24, 2019 - 01:16
The result is that many valid claims are never brought to begin with, since they are too small on their own. On Thursday, Google announced it would end forced arbitration for all internal matters moving forward.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft charged with soliciting prostitutesFeb 23, 2019 - 01:32
Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994 for $175 million and is also the owner of the New England Revolution and the Kraft Group . A spokesman for the Patriots owner is quoted as saying: "We categorically deny that Mr Kraft engaged in any illegal activity".

New York Times on Trump's attack: 'It's dangerous'Feb 23, 2019 - 01:25
Edgar Hoover", the FBI's controversial first director who famously collected damaging information on prominent political figures. The newspaper claims Mr Trump chose to say he had asked Flynn to resign because it "sounds better".

Chelsea＇s transfer ban could have knock on effect for Real MadridFeb 23, 2019 - 01:00
At least Gateshead seemed keen not to rub salt into the wounds, though, as they tweeted "Welcome to the club" following the news. Though, the FA have a chance to appeal the fine, citing "concerns" with FIFA's disciplinary processes according to SkySport.

Jussie Smollett is suspected of filing a false reportFeb 22, 2019 - 00:56
He alleged that he was hit in the face, had an "unknown chemical substance" poured on him and a rope was wrapped around his neck. The brothers agreed to cooperate after police threatened to charge them with battery, according to Chicago's FOX 32 .